We were super excited this past weekend to be invited by Vans to host a panel discussion at their interactive BLACK RAINBOWS projects, "a 10-day immersive experience in Venice Beach, California that transports fans back to 1976 to celebrate the energetic time period and place that Vans’ first skateboarding shoe was born." The Era. So we brought along with us 4 SoCal artists: Sage Vaughn, Robin Eisenberg, Daniel Gibson and Albert Reyes, and along with Jux editor, Evan Pricco, held an hour-long discussion about the intricate history of the Dogtown scene, and how the skate aesthetic and culture is embedded in their individual art works and careers.
During the day, with Albert Reyes painting live and Robin Eisenberg hosting a drawing class, visitors to the Black Rainbows space on Rose Avenue in Venice Beach, in the hallowed neighborhood of the Dogtown and Z Boys culture defining documentary film, visitors could get a museum experience of the aesthetic and memorabilia from the literal era and how Vans fits into the history. Juxtapoz participation felt natural: our magazine was founded by 3 Southern California artists, including CR Stecyk III, whose a vital piece of the Dogtown story and one of the first people to creative a lexicon about what was happening with skate culture in Venice and greater Southern California area. One of the topics that was covered in the panel was the Hollywood depiction of LA and the reality: the Colby Poster, Chaz Bojorquez, lowrider, Venice skate scene that was more gritty and artistic and rebellious than often given credit for.
All photos by Celina Kenyon